


Another Chance at Another Life

by heroineaddict



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Endgame Fix-It, M/M, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-05-15 10:57:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19294336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heroineaddict/pseuds/heroineaddict
Summary: Steve returns the Infinity Stones to their rightful place, and then makes a detour to fix one of his biggest regrets.





	Another Chance at Another Life

**Author's Note:**

  * For [13bella](https://archiveofourown.org/users/13bella/gifts).



> Written for the 2019 Stony Loves Steve exchange. Prompt: "Steve's new timeline meets Tony."

  
_2023: The day of Tony Stark’s funeral_

Steve Rogers had two regrets in his life.

One was missing his dance with Peggy.

The second was not telling Tony Stark he was in love with him.

Losing Tony was the most painful thing Steve had ever experienced; more painful than downing the plane in the ocean, more painful than losing Peggy, Bucky, anyone else, or anything else.

And yet, miraculously, Steve had been presented with a second chance. A chance to right those regrets, to live the life that he dreamed of - not the one he felt duty bound to live.

Bucky knew, of course; after everything they’d been through, Steve knew he couldn’t leave and not tell Bucky. Sad, but understanding, Bucky had offered nothing but support.

So now, standing on the time travel platform, having said goodbye to Bucky, Sam, and Bruce, Steve was ready. Ready for another chance - another _life_.

———

Returning the stones took weeks; not as difficult as obtaining them, but difficult nonetheless. The soul stone was a surprise; of all the people Steve had expected to meet, the Red Skull wasn’t anywhere even close to on the list.

He made that encounter as brief as possible.

Finally, it was all done - all the stones returned to their rightful place in time, no alternate futures created, no mistakes, returning the last to 1970. It’s almost close enough to Peggy, but he wants to do this right. He wants to go back to make up all the time he missed.

It was time to live his life for him.

———

  
_1970: New Jersey, Camp Lehigh S.H.I.E.L.D. Base_

Preparing to travel to 1945 takes hardly any time. Steve finds some era appropriate clothing and packs a bag, ready to go back and find Peggy. Right as he's ready to depart, he hesitates.

Peggy. Steve loves her, so much, and he knows he could never leave her twice; if he goes back to her, he knows he’ll stay, which means he’ll never get the chance to fix things with Tony.

So now, he has to choose - Peggy, or Tony. He can’t fix both regrets.

Steve knows there’s really no question.

Tony - sun bright, sharp wit and the kindest heart Steve’s ever seen; how could Steve pick anyone but Tony? He knows Peggy lived a full life, a happy life filled with joy and love and family. Just not with him.

But Steve has all of time and space at his fingertips. The solution hits him; it’s so easy. Why can’t he fix that? Give Peggy the life they both wanted?

Steve knows exactly what to do. He just hopes it works.

He’s really glad he took the Pym Particles he did now.

With a smile on his face, he recalibrates the time travel bracelet Tony made, and disappears into the quantum realm.

———

_May 11, 2012: Brooklyn, New York_

Steve lands exactly when, and where, he intended; exactly one week after the Battle of New York, in Brooklyn. He’s dressed to blend in as much as possible, but even so he pulls the baseball cap down over his brow to shield his eyes from passerby.

He knows exactly where he’s going; even though it’s been nine years since he lived in this particular apartment, Brooklyn is indelibly ingrained into Steve’s memory.

Even so, familiarity only goes so far when the door to “your” apartment opens and you literally stare yourself in the face.

Steve’s past self stares at him, and he can see the fight coming.

“Wait,” he says before...he can throw the punch. “Just give me a chance to explain.”

Steve (god this is confusing) stares at him, suspicion clouding his face.

“Ten seconds. Talk.”

Steve looks at his past self, seeing the small things here and there that he’d done to remind himself of the past; the clothes, music playing softly in the background, no TV.

“I’m from the future,” Steve says after a moment, hearing how ridiculous it sounds, but it’s true, so he keeps going. “I’m you. I’m from your future.”

An arched eyebrow is his answer, and Steve’s honestly not sure why he hasn’t been clocked yet. He would’ve clocked him if he were...him. Which he is, but he’s not.

This is all making his head hurt.

“That’s it?” comes from his past self, and Steve can see the twitching fingers that warn him the punch is coming. He holds up his hands defensively.

“Well, no. Can I come in?”

“How do I know you’re not some trick?” Steve (other Steve, not _him_ Steve) asks, suspicion lacing his tone, and okay, that’s fair.

“Because I can prove it,” Steve replies, confident now. “I can tell you the last thing you said before you went into the ice.”

Crossed arms and a snide reply. “It was radio communication with S.H.I.E.L.D. Everyone heard it.”

“But they didn’t hear you whisper to Peggy that you loved her.”

 _Bingo_. Steve’s arms uncross and his eyes widen, and Steve knows he’s gotten through.

“I know you miss her,” he says to...himself, hoping he’s willing to listen. “What if you had a chance to get that dance you promised her?”

“That’s impossible.”

Steve shakes his head. “Let me in, I can explain everything.”

He receives a nod in reply. Steve steps back to allow him in, and really, he should’ve seen the blow to the head coming.

When he awakes, he’s bound to a chair, and goddamn him for being so strong, because he’s tied himself so tight he can’t escape. Not while he’s dazed, anyway.

“Who are you?” Steve demands, menacing, and Steve wonders if this is worth laughing over. The blow to his head that he gave...himself, must’ve given him a concussion.

“I told you,” he says after choking the inappropriate laugh down. “I’m you. I’m from your future.”

“Or you’re just another one of Loki’s tricks,” Steve shoots back.

Goddamnit. Steve forgot about Loki. Forgot he’s already met himself. He was so concerned with getting here, that he didn’t consider the fact that this isn’t a whole new timeline.

“I’m not Loki,” he says calmly. “If I were Loki, how would I know things about you no one else does?”

This seems to give Steve pause. Steve can see the wheels turning in his counterpart’s head, can see the logic falling into place, but the suspicion doesn’t totally disappear.

He figures that’s reasonable.

“Okay, if you’re me,” Steve starts, still towering over him, “tell me something else only I’d know.”

Oh, well this is easy. “You think Tony Stark has a nice ass,” he smirks. Steve looks horrified.

“I- wha- _no_!” Steve finally manages, and now Steve can’t stop himself from laughing. Because he knows better now, and has accepted that Tony’s ass is, in fact, quite nice, this is entirely comical. This is exactly how he would’ve reacted if he’d been himself in this situation.

Which he is, but he’s not him. Technically.

“I’m sorry,” he finally gasps, still dazed; this must be why time travelers don’t talk to their past selves. They go insane.

Apparently it got through, though, because Steve is untying him.

“I don’t know how you find that funny, but it’s good enough for me,” Steve says, a scowl on his face.

“Good.” Steve stands, holding out a hand for Steve to shake. It’s accepted and Steve offers an apologetic smile.

“Sorry about the hit. Just seemed out there, even for the future.”

“It’s okay,” Steve replies, more serious now. “I would’ve done the same thing.”

“Why are you here?” Steve asks curiously.

It’s a long moment before Steve says anything, knowing he has to phrase this right.

“When I was just out of the ice, I missed home something bad,” he finally says. “When I was you, I guess. All I thought about was that plane, the water and ice, Peggy. Losing all of it...well, it was worse than if I’d died. I’d have given anything to go back to it. And I think you would too.”

“You mentioned a chance to get that dance. Are you saying you can go back to her?” Steve asks, clearly taking the point immediately.

“I’m saying _you_ can. I have one last Pym Particle. You can use it, make that dance we promised her.”

Steve looks torn; fortunately, Steve planned for this. He’s talking to himself, after all.

“Don’t think about it. Just go,” he urges, stepping forward to close the distance between them. “If I give you that Particle, I stay here in the past, you won’t leave anyone hanging. Fury might notice, but none of the rest of them will. I’ve got-“ he breaks off, fear and hope and regret surging up.

“I’ve got something I need to make right. If you go back, I can make that right too.” He doesn't tell Steve what that something is; he doesn't want to do anything that'd change Steve's mind.

Steve nods. “Tell me what to do.”

Steve shows him how to work the bracelet, what to expect, and the most important thing; where to find Peggy. He clasps Steve’s shoulders, and then Steve’s gone.

The fear creeps at the back of his mind again, this time mixed with apprehension; he knows what’s going to happen, knows the times he missed his chance to say something to bridge that gap with Tony, knows...well, not everything, but close.

Is it manipulation, he wonders, to use that knowledge to get Tony to fall for him? There was always a part of him that felt like Tony might have felt _that_ way, but he could’ve just as easily been looking through rose colored glasses.

He _is_ prone to idealism like that.

Sinking into the couch, he sighs. This was ridiculously impulsive, and now he’s starting to see all the risks.

Tony’s not guaranteed to fall for him. Steve’s not guaranteed to predict everything that’s going to happen; hell, just by coming here, he might’ve already changed this future.

Well, life’s not life without risk. He feels slightly better about being manipulative; since he can’t guarantee everything will play out in exactly the same way, he can’t guarantee he'll get to use all those missed chances.

And that’s really all he’s doing; giving himself a second chance to take that leap with Tony.

Which brings up another moral dilemma. Hydra. If things go the way they did in his past (which is also now his future), that means Hydra will infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. and take it over.

Does he let that happen to preserve the timeline? Does he stop it and hope that things don’t become worse because of it?

Steve can’t imagine a world in which Hydra being gone isn’t better, but he’s never considered any other alternative.

He supposes that’s a thought for another day. For now, he’s exhausted and thinks a nap is a good idea.

Once the door is locked, he all but collapses onto the bed that feels like it doesn’t belong to him, even though it does.

Tomorrow, he thinks. Tomorrow will be the day he starts taking the chances he should have all those years ago.

———

Despite all his initial eagerness, when Steve’s finally given a chance to see Tony again, he’s nervous. He can’t tell anyone he’s from the future, though maybe one day he’ll be able to share that.

Tony’s called him to the Avengers Tower; Steve isn’t sure why, even after all these years he still doesn’t grasp Tony’s techno talk, but he’s not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

He doesn’t really remember what happened in this timeline; all he remembers is Tony telling him that Loki got away with the Tesseract, but he never said how. He steps inside the tower, leaving his bike parked outside, and is immediately directed to the elevator.

Waiting for him when he reaches the lab, is Tony himself. Steve knows he’s staring, but he can’t quite help himself. He watched Tony die; to see him alive, vibrant and whole, is nothing short of a miracle.

“Rogers, hi,” Tony says, a harsh reminder that Steve doesn’t have that familiarity with Tony yet.

“Stark,” he replies evenly. “What’s the emergency?”

“No emergency, unless you count that travesty of a suit you wear,” Tony quips, and Steve can’t help but smile.

“It’s worked fine so far,” Steve counters, reminding himself that he has to stifle the familiarity right now.

“Worked,” Tony makes air quotes, expression somewhat sour, “doesn’t mean it can’t be improved. Unless you’d rather keep using that old rag?”

“No, no,” Steve says quickly, sensing this as an opening to try to connect with Tony. “Just all gets a little overwhelming, sometimes. All this new technology, it’s like I got dropped into a science-fiction movie.”

At that, Tony’s expression softens, just a bit. “Sure. I guess you did, in a way. Of course your whole life is practically a sci-fi movie.”

Steve chuckles. “I guess you’re right,” he agrees, because really, it’s true. Tony looks surprised at the laugh, and points at a chair near one of the desks.

“Sit. I have some prototype ideas I want you to look at.”

A nod, and Steve complies, the amount of information on the screens overwhelming even after almost fifteen years out of the ice.

Tony sits next to him and starts speaking, pointing out things on the screen that don’t quite register, partially because they’re way too technical for him, and partially because of Tony’s proximity.

“Earth to Capsicle,” penetrates the haze, and Steve looks up guiltily.

“Am I going too fast for you?” Tony asks with a smirk.

“Sorry,” is all Steve says in reply. Tony just shrugs.

“Anyway, the point is that I can improve your suit so you’re more bulletproof, but without compromising all the...” Tony gestures vaguely, hands twirling a bit. “That stuff, you do. I can also magnetize the gauntlets to recall the shield after you frisbee it at bad guys.”

Steve doesn’t remember this from his past, not this early. He remembers Tony upgrading his armor eventually, but not this early on. He wonders what that means.

“That sounds great,” he says sincerely, seeming to surprise Tony again.

“Well.” Tony claps his hands and stands up. “That’s all I need then, Cap, you can head to wherever they’re playing bingo.”

Disappointed but knowing better than to push, Steve rises as well. “Thanks,” he says before heading out, and Tony nods.

“Sure thing. I’ll need you back for testing in a week or so, I’ll call you.”

Steve nods in agreement. “Sounds like a plan.”

He leaves without another word, a smile on his face as he kicks the bike into gear and drives off.

\------

When Rogers is gone, Tony takes a moment to contemplate what the fuck just happened.

Tony’s not great at this relationship thing (Pepper can corroborate), but he’s also not an idiot. Ten days ago Rogers acted like Tony was the scum of the earth, and today was...well.

The look on Rogers’s face when he stepped off the elevator was the same look that Pepper had when Tony was rescued from Afghanistan. Like they were seeing ghosts; people they thought were dead, brought back to life.

Rogers had also sat extremely close to him; far too close for someone that seemed to hate his guts a week ago.

Maybe it’s nothing. Tony doesn’t think it’s nothing, but without any more information, he can’t draw any conclusions.

The solution, of course, is to get Rogers back here and see if he acts the same way. Which means he needs to work on that suit.

Well, Tony’s never one to shy away from a project. He gets down to business, the work easy and familiar.

It takes just three days to finish. He calls Rogers back, careful this time to watch him. The same stifled familiarity is on his face as he walks in, like seeing Tony is a miracle he can’t believe.

“Hey,” Rogers says as he steps into the lab. “That was fast.”

“Yeah, never been a fan of letting stuff wait,” Tony says, deliberately offhand. Rogers just nods, seeming to wait for a cue. Tony can’t put his finger on why Rogers is different, but if he didn’t know better he’d swear this isn’t the same man he fought aliens with two weeks ago.

“So!” Tony claps his hands. “New suit’s over there, do me a favor and go try it on. I have tests we need to run.”

Rogers just nods. When he’s in the suit, Tony looks it over appraisingly. “Turn around.” He motions with his hand. Rogers complies, turning to face the opposite wall. Tony takes a moment to appreciate the suit’s design, and it seems to fit well.

Very well, if Tony’s being honest.

“Okay, step onto that platform,” he instructs, gesturing to it. Rogers complies again, and Tony punches instructions in the computer. It runs some scans, because Tony’s nothing if not thorough.

“What is all this?” Rogers asks from the platform.

“Basic integrity checks now that it’s being worn, material density, and a few other things,” Tony says without looking up as the output displays on the computer screen. “Do me a favor and move a little? I need to see output when there’s movement.”

“Awkward,” he hears Rogers mutter, which brings a smile to Tony’s face; the smile turning into a smirk when he sees Rogers waving his arms.

“Fake punch something, don’t just wave,” he calls out. Rogers flushes, which is a check in the ‘Tony Wins’ column. The tests all check out with just a few tweaks needed, but watching Rogers fake fight nothing is amusing, so he lets it go on an extra moment.

“Okay, that’s good.” Tony motions Rogers over. “Feedback?”

Rogers offers a smile. “It’s great, Ton-Stark,” he says, and isn’t that odd.

Tony nods brusquely. “Great. I’ve got a few adjustments to make, and you can start using it at the end of the week.”

“Sounds great,” Rogers replies, and goddamn if he doesn’t sound sincere. “Thanks.”

“No prob,” Tony offers. “I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

Rogers seems to hesitate before leaving, which is still weird. It’s like he thinks of them as friends, but is trying to pretend he doesn’t. Tony wouldn’t even go so far as to consider them anything beyond acquaintances, but he can admit that Rogers is a good guy, despite the disappointingly north facing moral compass and poor taste in armor.

Well, no sense in dwelling. He’s got work to do.

\------

  
Tony notices that after the suit is finished, Rogers is around more; he seems to make a point of "dropping in" for lunch, or a drink, with the excuse that he wants to make sure Tony's not just holing himself up in his lab.

Which is nice, but Tony's perfectly capable of choosing not to hole himself away. He just chooses to.

Rogers has apparently tried the suit on a couple short, one-man missions, reporting back to Tony each time with feedback, which Tony appreciates; he can always make things better. One afternoon Rogers insists on getting Tony out of the tower, and he doesn't protest that hard, because Pepper yells at him to get out in the sun more often too, but this is still weird.

They end up at a little hole in the wall pizza joint, Rogers offering a smile as they sit down.

"Okay, what's up?" Tony demands once they're seated. "You're acting...not like you."

Rogers looks surprised; did he really think Tony wasn't going to notice? "Can't stop by to take a friend to lunch?" he asks, clearly trying to sound innocent.

"When were we friends?" Tony asks bluntly. "Last thing I remember was you telling me the only thing special about me was my suit."

"Maybe I realized I was wrong," Rogers counters. Tony figures that's reasonable, but it's still suspicious.

"What made you realize that?" he challenges, making Rogers shrug in reply.

"Do I need a reason?"

"Yes," Tony replies. Everything needs a reason.

Rogers sighs. "Fine. I realized I was too hard on you, and wanted to try to make that right. I owe you a lot for what you did that day when Loki attacked. We all do."

"I know," Tony agrees, but this is at least more in line with what he knows about Rogers. "Still seems weird, Rogers, but fine. I can accept that."

"You can call me Steve, you know," Rogers replies, and Tony shrugs.

"I could. Let's see how lunch goes."

Rogers nods, and despite himself, Tony finds himself opening up. Rogers is warm and kind, asking genuine questions about Tony and his projects, Iron Man, and even though Tony still feels like he missed a big part of their history together, it's kind of nice. Steve offers stories about his life in the thirties and forties, which sometimes involve a mention of Howard Stark, but Tony finds he doesn't even mind; it's interesting to see a perspective of his dad that isn't clouded by him being an asshole.

Before Tony even realizes it, an hour has passed; he's surprised to discover that he actually enjoyed himself. Rogers has this...genuineness to him that Tony's never really experienced before, in anyone really. He decides to take a leap of faith and continue the day, instead of retreating back to the tower like he'd originally planned on.

When the check arrives, he grabs it, offering the server a wink. "I got it."

"You didn't have to do that," Rogers protests, and Tony just shrugs. He wanted to; figures it's a way to thank Rogers for dragging him out like this.

"Don't mind. Not like we're both gainfully employed or anything."

"Some of us were frozen for almost seven decades," Rogers retorts, but he's smiling. The sight sends a rush of warmth through Tony, which he still doesn't quite understand, because two weeks ago he'd have pushed Rogers off the helicarrier without a second thought.

Probably.

Maybe.

"It's my treat. Consider it thanks for this," Tony replies, and Rogers seems to brighten.

"Glad I was able to get you out, and that you didn't hate every second."

"Just every other," Tony quips, but he's smiling now too. He doesn't get what's happening, why all of a sudden he's so drawn in by Rogers. Maybe it's the connection to Tony's own past through his dad.

Or maybe it's that Rogers isn't the worst person to look at from across a table. Or the fact that he seems to actually care about Tony.

"I guess I have to take that," Rogers chuckles, sending that warmth through Tony again.

"Best you'll ever get," he agrees, standing up and motioning for Rogers to join him. He hesitates a beat before offering, "Hey. I could use some input on some new designs for the rest of the team. You'd- well your input would be helpful, considering that your suit's already been tested."

Rogers looks shocked, but he stifles it quickly. "Yeah, sure."

"Great." Tony leads them out and into the car. He drives back to the rebranded Avengers Tower, glancing over at Rogers only once, because he can feel the eyes on him.

"Nice view?" he asks, making Rogers jump. There's a flush on his cheeks. Tony parks the car and turns in the seat to face Rogers. "When we get up to the lab, you're explaining what the hell is going on."

"Nothing's going on," Rogers protests, and Tony really wants to call bullshit on that, but he can wait a minute. He motions for Rogers to get out, and ushers him into the elevator. When they're back in the lab, he faces Rogers, arms crossed.

"Okay, talk."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Rogers replies, clearly lying.

"Uh uh, you're a lousy liar, Cap. Spill it."

Rogers just sighs, seeming to debate internally for a long moment before answering. "I just- I feel like I missed a chance to get to know you better. You're a good guy, Stark, and I'd like it if we could be friends."

"Still lying," Tony says, irritated now. "What's the big deal about telling me the truth?"

"Maybe I'm still not sure what the truth is," Rogers retorts, and it makes Tony sigh.

"Fine. Whatever. Go sit over there, help me with these designs. If you feel like telling me the actual truth, I'm listening."

He's not sure why it's so important to him to figure out what Rogers is hiding. Maybe it's because he doesn't like not knowing things, maybe it's because he's finding Rogers increasingly attractive and boy if that isn't something he never thought he'd say.

Remembering that leap of faith he feels like he took earlier, Tony sits on the stool next to Rogers and pulls it close enough so their legs brush. He watches as Rogers stifles a reaction, and doesn't move away. He leans over into Rogers's personal space to punch in a few things on the computer, not surprised when Rogers doesn't pull back.

"So these are the designs I've got prototypes for," Tony explains, pointing them out on the screens. "They're all similar to yours, you said the new fabric worked well?"

"Yeah," Rogers agrees, and goddamn if his voice doesn't sound slightly hoarse. "Yeah, no complaints."

Tony smirks to himself as he leans in again, deliberately brushing against Rogers this time. The touch sends a spike of electricity through him, which is surprising, but not unwelcome. He rests a hand on Rogers's knee, feeling Rogers jolt under his hand, and this time he can't contain the smirk. Tony's never been one to shy away from new experiences, and certainly never been one to shy away from bed partners, but there's still something about this that's a lot different; Tony feels like if he lets himself go down this road, it'll be for good.

He's not sure that's a bad thing. But he's definitely sure now that Rogers has a serious thing for him.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," he smirks.

"You didn't," Rogers replies, and suddenly there's a hand covering his own. "Tony-"

"Nope, busy. You can hit on me later," Tony retorts, but he turns to Rogers and winks. "What's the matter, Cap, can't concentrate?"

"You could say that," Rogers replies, hand squeezing Tony's gently. Tony flips his hand up and allows their fingers to lace together, and feels something click into place somewhere deep down.

"Too bad, I need you to." Tony squeezes Rogers's hand back, a shiver running through him when a thumb starts rubbing the back of his hand. "Anything at all you'd make different about the suit? More flexibility, less, lighter fabric, anything?"

Rogers shakes his head. "It's perfect, Tony. Couldn't ask for better."

Tony waits for the cheesy, "just like you," and is both relieved and disappointed when it doesn't come. He's far from perfect, but he feels like Rogers is the type to say it anyway.

"Entirely unhelpful. But I'm sure I'll find something to fix at some point," Tony replies, wondering who's going to acknowledge the hand thing first.

"Now what?" Rogers asks, and Tony knows he's not really asking about the suits. He shrugs, sitting back slightly but keeping their hands clasped.

"No idea," Tony says honestly. Rogers hasn't let go, and Tony doesn't really want to. Rogers feels like an anchor, keeping Tony from drifting away. “I have a million projects I could work on.”

Rogers hums out a dissent. “You know that’s not what I’m talking about.”

“Oh I know. But I don’t know what to do about that. I do, however, know what to do about the million projects. Sleep is for the weak.”

A laugh is Rogers’s response, hand squeezing Tony’s tight. “If you say so.”

“I do,” Tony agrees. “My longest stretch was something like ninety-six hours.”

“I bet you were a sight to behold after that,” Rogers says, still chuckling. “You know we don’t have to do anything about it, not if you don’t want. I can wait.”

“Why?” Tony asks, needing to hear the answer.

“You’re worth waiting for,” Rogers replies, and goddamn if he isn’t basically perfect. Tony feels like he’s taken a lot of leaps of faith today, but breaking the mood doesn’t feel like a good idea just yet.

“You are the king of vague answers today.”

“I can’t help it. I don’t want to push.”

“Sometimes pushing helps things.” Tony huffs out a breath. “Haven’t seen the gym downstairs yet, have you? All new equipment, I bet you’d love it.”

A chuckle that sounds fond of Tony is Rogers’s response. “Sounds great. You coming with me?”

“You are holding my hand,” Tony says with a smirk.

“Guess I am.” Rogers rises and pulls Tony up with him, not releasing his grip. “Still don’t know what to do about that?”

“Nope.”

Rogers shakes his head, a smile on his face. He leads them both to the elevator, hands still clasped, finally turning to look at Tony once the doors are closed.

“So.”

“So,” Tony agrees. Rogers appears to hesitate for a brief moment, and then leans in to kiss him.

Tony immediately melts into it; the sensation’s like nothing he’s ever felt before, with anyone. Rogers is insistent, pressing Tony back against the wall of the elevator, hands still clasped, driving a surprised and definitely not desperate gasp from him.

And then it’s over. Rogers pulls back, grinning like a Cheshire Cat as he turns to face the doors again.

“Rogers, you’re a fucking tease,” Tony groans, eyes falling closed. He hears an exasperated laugh.

“I just kissed you and you still can’t call me Steve, huh?”

“Nope. Maybe after you get me into bed.”

“Based on that kiss, I’m not worried about it.”

Tony’s eyes open, eyes narrowing at Rogers. “You think I’m that easy?” He squeezes Rogers’s hand for emphasis. Rogers laughs again.

“Not at all. Just saying I’ve got a good feeling.”

Before Tony can answer, the elevator door opens. Rogers steps out, all but dragging Tony with him because he still hasn’t let go of Tony’s hand, not that Tony really minds. There’s something about all this that, while it would normally send him running, is instead making him feel safe.

A low whistle leaves Rogers as he takes in the gym. “This is impressive.”

“Just a little side project,” Tony says, nonchalant. “Figure if there’s going to be superheroes here they’ll need a decent place to stay in tip top shape.”

“I can think of other ways to do that,” Rogers smirks at him.

Tony rolls his eyes. “Look, I know it’s been a century since you’ve gotten laid, but I’m just not that kind of girl.”

At that, Rogers laughs. “Didn’t think you were, sweetheart,” he says, the last word making Tony want to punch him a little, but it’s clear it’s meant to be a joke.

“Okay, just for that, I’m not putting out ever.”

“Doubt it,” Rogers smirks, and sure, he’s probably right, but that doesn’t mean Tony has to admit it.

“Doubt all you want,” he says, feigning indifference. Rogers laughs again and pulls Tony towards him and into another kiss. “Jesus,” he breathes against Rogers’s lips.

“Steve is fine,” comes the reply, and _fuck_ , maybe Tony is that kind of girl. “No pressure, okay? I can wait.”

“This isn’t making me want to wait,” Tony growls.

“We don’t have to,” Rogers says, voice a hum, and goddamnit that does unfair things to Tony’s resolve.

“You’re a menace,” Tony groans. Rogers chuckles, more insistent now, like he thinks Tony will disappear if he stops.

“You love it,” Rogers replies, confident and assured as his free hand starts roaming over Tony’s back. It sends a shudder through Tony’s entire body.

“Hate it,” Tony groans, but he knows they both know he’s lying. It seems like principle now not to give in, but he wants to; and when has he ever denied himself something he wants? “Fuck it, I’m lying, you win.”

Rogers pulls back, face flushed and lips swollen and Tony thinks he’s never been more attractive in the past few hours he’s actually found Rogers attractive. “Come on.”

Their hands are still clasped; Tony wonders if Rogers ever has plans to let go. Rogers leads them to the elevator, instructing JARVIS not to let anyone into Tony’s penthouse, and there’s something odd about that but then he’s pressed up against the wall of the elevator again and most of his coherent thought is driven away.

———

The past few hours feel like a dream when Steve really thinks about it. He can't quite believe that what happened, actually happened. Tony's lying next to him, breaths coming in an easy rhythm that Steve thinks he could listen to for hours.

He rises carefully from the bed, pressing a kiss to Tony's forehead before he does, and quietly walks to the bathroom. He wishes he had more memories of this place, wishes that he hadn't been such a coward in what feels like an entirely separate life. But the point is that he's here now, he supposes.

Tony doesn't seem to suspect anything, which is good. Steve knows at some point he's going to have to come clean. He splashes some water on his face and goes back out to retrieve his clothes, and scribbles a note to Tony on the back of a spare piece of paper in his wallet.

Once the note is tucked under Tony's hand, Steve heads out to the expansive den of the penthouse and grabs a tablet to do some research. He needs to know what's different about this timeline, needs to know if there's anything he can find about Hydra (he deliberately avoids thinking about Peggy) infiltrating SHIELD.

The research draws him into his own world; he's not very good at this, even after this many years, but Google is forgiving and he feels like he's at least making some progress. He hears the bedroom door open, looking up with a smile.

"What the fuck is this?" Tony demands, waving Steve's note at him.

"A note saying I'm in here?" Steve asks, confused. Tony shakes his head, walking over and throwing the paper at him.

"I'm not talking about that, Rogers. I'm asking why the fuck you have a picture of us that I know damn fucking well I didn't take."

 _Shit_. Steve wrote the note on a photo, not a piece of paper. He flips the photo over, seeing his own smiling face grinning back at him, taunting him, with an arm around Tony. It'd been taken at the party they'd thrown right before Ultron first attacked.

"I can explain," he tries, and Tony snorts.

"Sure, I bet you can. You know, I knew there was something off about all this, but I ignored it because you were so convincing." Tony's advancing on him now, a finger pointed in his direction. "I knew there was something weird about the way you looked at me, the fact that you were always here, the fact that you didn't hesitate with JARVIS when the last time you were here you acted like he was a ghost, and you owe me a fucking explanation, Rogers. Who the fuck are you?"

Steve takes a long moment before he replies; this wasn't how he wanted to do this at all. He doubts that Tony will believe him at this point, but he knows he owes it to Tony to come clean.

"Look, what I'm going to say is going to sound crazy, but just...hear me out," he starts, and Tony snorts again. "I'm from the future."

"Next try," Tony fires back, and Steve holds up a hand.

"I'm from the future," he says again, silencing Tony with a look when his mouth opens. "I know it sounds crazy. Six years from now, the same person that sent all those aliens and Loki here is going to destroy half of all life on earth." He breaks off, because the memories were muted until now, and the rush of emotion that returns is dizzying. He takes a deep breath, motioning for Tony to sit. He's surprised that Tony does; it gives him hope.

"I tried to stop him, and I couldn't. None of us could," Steve continues, not able to look at Tony right now. "Five years after that, we figured out how to travel back in time, to stop him. And we did."

He looks over at Tony, who still looks skeptical. Steve sighs and keeps talking, chest twisting as he does. "We were able to bring everyone back, and we were able to defeat him. But it cost us something, cost _me_ something."

Steve can't even say the words. His eyes squeeze shut, trying to stave off the tears as the vision of Tony's face, burned and mangled from the gauntlet, eyes staring sightlessly into nothing, surfaces in his mind.

"What?" Tony finally asks, voice gentler now.

Steve takes a deep breath. "It cost us _you_ , Tony. You sacrificed yourself to destroy him. I'm here because I couldn't live in a world without you in it. I couldn't live in a world where you were gone, even though I knew you didn't regret it. So I came back here."

There's a long moment of silence. Tony lets out a long breath after a moment, and sits back against the back of the sofa.

"You know that's a hard thing to believe."

"I know," Steve admits. "But it's the truth."

"Tell me something," Tony asks after a moment. "Assuming this is all true, when did you come back? What day?"

"May 11th," Steve replies, and for some reason this seems to be the proof Tony needs. He nods slowly.

"Okay," he finally says. "That's...Steve, that's a lot to take in. You're telling me that in eleven years, I die?"

"Maybe not this time," Steve says softly. "Maybe this time we can stop it all from happening."

"And you came back here to do that," Tony says, a statement instead of a question. Steve shakes his head; it hadn't ever been about Thanos, though he knows it should've been. It was always about fixing the fact that he never had enough courage to tell Tony how he felt.

"No," he admits. "I came back here for you. I never told you how I felt about you. Then you were gone, and I missed my chance."

"So you just..." Tony still seems skeptical. "Decided to come back here."

"Pretty much," Steve agrees.

"Pretty much?"

Steve isn't sure if this is one of those times where revealing the future messes things up. "I don't know a lot about time travel, Tony, what if I say something that changes the future?"

"Steve, I can't trust you if you don't tell me everything," Tony argues, and while Steve knows it's true, he really doesn't want to make things worse somehow.

"God, Tony," he sighs, head dropping back on the sofa as he turns to look at Tony. "I really don't want to fuck everything up."

Tony seems to mull that over for a minute, eventually nodding. "Fine. Looks like I'm stuck taking you at your word."

"So you believe me?" Steve asks, surprised despite himself.

Tony nods. "Yeah. Makes sense, if I think about it. The first time you showed up here after..." he gestures vaguely, "everything with the aliens, you looked at me like you'd seen a ghost."

"Felt like I had," Steve agrees.

"And it explains why you didn't treat JARVIS like some disembodied poltergeist," Tony adds, which makes Steve chuckle; he did feel that way at first, all those years ago.

"Did that really give it away?" he asks, and Tony just shrugs.

"Didn't fit with what I knew about you. I ignored it at the time because you were distracting."

At that, Steve laughs. "Had to take the chance you gave me." He sits up and turns to face Tony. "Tony, I know it's a lot, but I hope you can trust me. I spent the last eleven years falling for you; I know that means you've got catch up to do, if you're even interested in taking that chance with me, but I hope you do."

Tony's silent for another long moment. "It's not gonna be easy," he admits. "But yeah. I think so."

"Yeah?" Steve asks, hardly able to believe it.

Tony nods, that playful smile on his face. "Don't make me second guess it," he warns, and Steve laughs again.

"Promise," he agrees. He leans in to kiss Tony, who stops him with a hand on his chest.

"You know at some point, you are spilling all the details. I want to know all the major scientific breakthroughs I have, okay?"

"That's spoiling the fun," Steve grins, pulling Tony's hand off his chest and lacing their fingers together as he leans the rest of the way in for that kiss.

For the first time in decades, Steve Rogers finally felt at peace.


End file.
